Venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has refuted recent local news stories claiming it intends to launch an office in India, with a general partner labeling the reports as “completely fabricated.”
On Thursday, several Indian news outlets claimed that a16z was planning to set up a physical location in Bengaluru. These articles, citing anonymous sources, also mentioned that the firm was in the midst of recruiting a partner based in India.
Yet, Anish Acharya, a general partner at a16z who is based in the Bay Area and has been with the company for six years, rejected these claims. “As much as I love India and admire the many outstanding founders and investors there, this is completely fabricated!” he posted on X.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for a16z confirmed Acharya’s remarks and pointed to his social media post.
This denial comes at a time when a16z seems to be pulling back on some of its global expansion plans. Earlier this year, the firm announced the closure of its London branch — which had opened in 2023 after the U.K. government reportedly spent five years courting the influential investor, according to Sifted. The decision to close came just a year and a half after launching, with a16z attributing it to a change in strategy and more attractive regulatory conditions in the U.S. Nonetheless, the firm stated it would maintain its international investments through remote teams and local partnerships. Later reports suggested that several of its scouts remained active throughout Europe.
To date, a16z has not prioritized India as a key market — in contrast to other American venture capital firms like Accel, General Catalyst, and Lightspeed Venture Partners, which have established a significant presence there. The firm’s only major investment in India has been in the crypto platform CoinSwitch, which it supported during the company’s $260 million fundraising round in 2021.
In the months after that, a16z was reportedly looking to allocate around $500 million to Indian startups, but has not made any substantial investments in the country since then.
As previously reported by TechCrunch, a16z co-founder and general partner Marc Andreessen once spoke at Stanford Graduate School of Business, noting that while investing in startups in developing markets is “very appealing,” it is also difficult for a venture capital firm to broaden its reach to additional countries. He explained that venture capital requires a “very hands-on approach to understanding the people you’re working with, both for evaluating and collaborating with the company.”
